I've loved the website Humans of New York for a few years now, so I was delighted when my sister got me the second book, 'Humans of New York: Stories' by Brandon Stanton. If you're unfamiliar with the blog, Stanton interviews and photographs complete strangers and puts their images and words online. Some stories are short, some are long, some are sad, some are sweet, some are humorous. Sometimes you see the person's face, sometimes it's a close up of their hands or shoes. The book is in a similar format, and definitely has the same wavelength as the blog, but somehow seeing the words in print makes the stories seem much more personal and real.
You can read the whole thing cover to cover, or just open the book and pick any page as there is no beginning/middle/end. The words are curated beautifully with the imagery. Just like the blog, there are some incredibly moving tales in this book. When I read these, I take a moment to remind myself that these people had never met Stanton before. They would have been revealing their secrets to a complete stranger. I find that very moving.
'Humans of New York: Stories' is an excellent reminder that every person on the planet has their own story. Everyone you walk past in the street, every stranger you sit next to on the bus has an entire life that could fill up a book. There's a saying that you should be kind to everyone you meet, as everyone is fighting a battle that you know nothing about... that's what I think whenever I read this.
Have you read this book? Do you read the 'Humans of New York' blog? What do you think? Let me know in the comments.